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Chapter 04
Elizabeth Whittington was not the type to be so oblivious as to flirt openly with Ian right there.
Although I was greatly surprised by the unexpected turn of events, I forced myself to compose my thoughts and adjust my voice.
“My name is Ellie Lambert. Pleased to meet you.”
At the same time, I gave Ian a strong signal with my eyes.
“Let’s find some time alone later.”
Ian—or rather, the Earl of Penwood—pretended not to recognize me. Instead, he smiled at Thomas.
“Thank you for welcoming me despite the sudden visit. There’s nothing pressing, just something I wanted to discuss regarding my room.”
“Pardon? Is there something about it that displeases you…?”
“Oh, not at all. I’m quite satisfied with the room. It’s just that there are a few things that need adjusting.”
“Adjusting?”
At Thomas’s question, the Earl of Penwood gave a slightly embarrassed expression and replied.
“It may seem fussy, but I have trouble sleeping if the furniture or decorations are not placed to my liking. Is Miss Ellie assigned to clean my room? Ah, I see. In that case, I’d like to give a few instructions now.”
“Of course. Please do as you like, my lord. Even if you’ll be staying for only a few days, it’s important that you feel comfortable, just like in your own home.”
Thomas said this while catering to the Earl’s preferences, then gestured for me to follow the Earl to the guest room to help with the arrangements.
Though I found the whole situation absurd, I saw it as a perfect opportunity to be alone with Ian, so I said nothing and followed him to the guest room.
Ian’s room was located on the second floor of the East Wing of the mansion (I will explain more later, but the Plennigan estate is divided into the East Wing and the West Wing).
It was a spacious room with sunlight streaming through large windows. Luxury furniture, imported carpets, expensive-looking paintings on the walls—nothing like the room of the head housemaid I had just seen. Comparing it to the room for the new housemaid wasn’t even worth mentioning.
In fact, it even seemed larger and nicer than my own room in the Whittington mansion. Of course, my grandfather was relatively frugal, and I wasn’t dissatisfied with my room either.
But the fact that Ian, merely a young acting butler, was assigned such a room…
“Ian! Impersonating a noble is punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to five thousand flin!”
As soon as Ian closed the door, I quickly snapped at him.
“What’s going on here?”
“Well, Miss, as you can see,” Ian shrugged nonchalantly, as if it were nothing surprising. His composed, casual demeanor made me even more exasperated.
“What do we do if anyone asks about your true identity? You know I can’t lie!”
“Oh, yes. The same Miss who cannot tell a lie is now visiting here under the name Ellie Lambert.”
“Seriously…”
I restrained myself from yelling, as there might be someone within earshot, and whispered softly.
“Why did you come here?”
“Well, the acting butler Ian Quaid is just a cover. My real identity is the Earl of Penwood…”
“Don’t joke around! This was on grandfather’s orders, wasn’t it?”
It was obvious even without explanation. Ian smirked at my direct question.
“You know that the Earl has always treated you like a child left by the water’s edge.”
“But to go to such absurd lengths for a play-acting scenario? Even going as far as impersonating a noble?”
“Well, I don’t enjoy it either.”
Ian let out an exaggerated sigh.
“The Earl reluctantly agreed to let you work as a maid in the Plennigan mansion, but he still worried about you. So he called me for advice.”
“So none of this was your idea?”
“When else would I get the opportunity to supervise you directly as a master?”
“So in the end, you did it because you liked it!”
“In any case, the Earl approved immediately after hearing my proposal.”
Even as I protested, Ian continued without batting an eye.
“There’s simply no one else as trustworthy, quick-witted, and meticulous as I am who could handle everything without worry.”
“Enough! Wasn’t there another way? Impersonating a noble is a crime. I can’t stop worrying!”
“The same goes for you, Miss.”
“Huh?”
“The Earl also asked you if there was another way. You decided that entering as a maid was best. I made the same judgment. The Plennigan estate wasn’t hiring male servants, so entering as one wasn’t possible.
The only option left was to come as a guest. To be in a position where I could protect you without drawing attention from the household, it was better to pose as a noble.”
“…No wonder you seemed genuinely sincere for a moment.”
“In any case, the Earl went to great lengths. He coordinated with the shops run by the Plennigan family, prepared the necessary documents and IDs, and fitted me with fine clothes and shoes from the stores frequented by nobles.
Over time, I learned noble manners and speech by being near the Earl. The ‘Earl of Penwood’ I’m impersonating is a friend of the real Earl with a residence far from here, so there’s little risk of being caught.”
“But what if we are discovered? What if someone who knows the real Earl of Penwood visits?”
I asked worriedly, but Ian smiled confidently.
“As long as we’re not discovered.”
“That’s not something you can just control!”
“Miss Beth, this is a task the Earl assigned to me. I’m responsible for it.”
Ian stated firmly.
“Have I ever failed to complete a task properly? The Earl knows my abilities, which is why he trusts me with this.”
“Still… I trust you, Ian, but I’ve never lied to someone or committed a crime like this…”
“Who would even know?”
Ian grinned, and his expression didn’t seem fake, which worried me further. It felt as if there were sides of Ian I had never seen. As if reading my mind, he added:
“And if anything goes wrong, the Earl will take responsibility.”
“Grandfather?”
“If I were arrested for impersonating a noble, the Earl would pay the 5,000 flin fine for me. Converted into your allowance, that’s several years’ worth…”
Though Ian joked, I wondered if he might actually be willing to get caught just to prevent me from receiving my allowance.
“In any case, that’s the situation. You should proceed knowing this.”
Ian studied my expression and added:
“The Earl worries about you—not just because you’re like a child left by the water’s edge, but because you are his one and only precious granddaughter.”
“…I understand.”
My throat tightened slightly. I didn’t want to show it, so I forced myself to speak indifferently.
“I’m not sneaking into some criminal den! I just came to someone else’s house. What’s the big deal?”
“You are impersonating a maid, aren’t you?”
“That’s different! No one goes to prison or pays a fine for a noble working as a maid.”
“Though the class difference is painfully obvious, that’s true.”
Seeing Ian agree so calmly, a thought occurred to me.
“Right! Since you’re here, you can help me!”
“Pardon?”
“You know why I came to the Plennigan mansion under a false identity. So you, posing as a guest, can gather information for me.”
“Information?”
Ian furrowed his brows as he asked. I nodded.
“Being a maid has its limits. Ailin’s family is hiding something, and a mere servant can’t easily pry it out. But if I’m a valued guest…”
I said confidently:
“Then we can just pretend to be clueless and ask innocently. Like, ‘I heard there’s a ghost in this mansion. I’ve loved scary stories since I was little.’ Something like that.”
“In other words, you want me to play the naïve, oblivious role.”
“You handle all your tasks perfectly. You can handle this too, right?”
I praised Ian enthusiastically, but he still frowned.
“Miss, I think you misunderstand something.”
“Huh?”
“My job is to protect you,” Ian said with an unyielding expression.
“The Earl only instructed me to watch over you and intervene if you did anything dangerous. I have no reason to do more than that.”
“But we went all this way! Can’t you help just a little?”
“What benefit would I gain from helping you?”
“…That sounds oddly familiar.”
I said this, and Ian suddenly relaxed his expression and smiled.
“Fifteen flin per week. Not a flin less.”
“Huh? What does that even mean?”
I asked in confusion, and Ian raised his right index finger to explain:
“You’re earning 30 flin per week as a maid, right? Give me 15 of that, and I’ll work as your information agent.”
“That’s stingy!”
“Not really. If you hired an information agent separately, it would cost even more. And you’re not working as a maid for a living—you’re getting an allowance from the Earl. So giving me 15 flin isn’t a big deal.”
I sighed inwardly, watching Ian grin. He wasn’t wrong.
“Ian, if you keep using the master like this, you’ll get into trouble eventually.”
“Let’s be clear on terms,” Ian said with his usual fresh smile.
“This isn’t using anyone. It’s a transaction. Both parties benefit.”
